Cowboys restructure Ware, Witten and Austin

Irving, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Cowboys took steps to reduce theirheavy salary cap obligations for the upcoming season by officiallyrestructuring the contracts of five players on Thursday, including Pro Bowlselections DeMarcus Ware and Jason Witten and key contributors Miles Austinand Brandon Carr.

The Cowboys also signed longtime long snapper L.P. LaDouceur to a five-yearcontract that will run through the 2017 season.

According to the team's official site, reworking the deals of Carr, Ware,Witten and Austin will save the Cowboys $21.5 million in cap space. Dallas hadbeen around $20 million over the cap prior to the moves.

Offensive lineman Ryan Cook also had his contract re-done to help get the teamunder the cap.

Dallas is also in the process of attempting to work out an extension withquarterback Tony Romo, who will be entering the final year of his contract in2013, in order to lower his current cap charge and provide further relief.

LaDouceur, meanwhile, will be entering his ninth season with the team. The 31-year-old undrafted free agent has played in all 125 of the Cowboys' regular-season contests since being signed three games into the 2005 campaign.